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https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/cou...d/news-story/53687bb34cb06a53e875554923375031
JUSTIN Langer has named Aaron Finch in his first Test squad as Australia coach, and the 31-year-old was not the only surprise selection in the 15-man group.
Finch will be joined for the two-Test series against Pakistan by fellow Victorian Peter Siddle, however his state teammates Glenn Maxwell, Peter Handscomb and Chris Tremain all missed out on selection.
Finch is one of five uncapped players in the squad, alongside quicks Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser, and batsmen Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne.
Finch dominated England’s T20 Blast (589 at 147.25) and has averaged 52.65 in one-day international cricket since the start of 2017. However, his first-class average sits at a modest 36.15 and he was not among the standout batsmen in last summer’s Sheffield Shield season (404 at 35.28). Nevertheless, Ricky Ponting is backing him to succeed in the five-day format.
“His four-day cricket for Victoria has probably been better than anyone else in the country, probably apart from (Matthew) Renshaw,” Ponting told cricket.com.au.
Like Finch, Siddle’s selection comes off the back of a bumper stint in England. The 33-year-old took 37 wickets at 16.40 runs apiece for division one county side Essex. With Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins both ruled out of the tour of the United Arab Emirates, Siddle will be looking to play his first Test since November 2016.
He will be vying for selection against Queensland’s Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett, who beat Tremain to selection in the squad. Given no man has taken more wickets over the past two Sheffield Shield seasons than Tremain (93 at 20.12), the right-armer can feel hard done by.
Left-arm finger-spinners Jon Holland and Ashton Agar will be fighting it out to be named Australia’s second-spinner alongside Nathan Lyon on the dusty tracks of the UAE.
Handscomb’s ommission comes after a lean tour of India with the A team — he averaged 4.00 across five innings before the squad was announced — while neither Maxwell nor imcumbent Test opener Joe Burns got the chance to mount a case for selection in the subcontinent. Burns was ruled out of a stint with county side Glamaorgan in August due to a back injury but was hoping to be fit in time for the Pakistan Tests.
In their absensce, both Head and Labuschagne impressed. The South Australian helped himself to a List A ton at the start of the tour before notching half-centuries in both four-dayers, while Labuschange scored two fifties.
Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh each ensured their selections with first-class tons for Australia A.
TEST SQUAD
Tim Paine (c), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Michael Neser, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc
JUSTIN Langer has named Aaron Finch in his first Test squad as Australia coach, and the 31-year-old was not the only surprise selection in the 15-man group.
Finch will be joined for the two-Test series against Pakistan by fellow Victorian Peter Siddle, however his state teammates Glenn Maxwell, Peter Handscomb and Chris Tremain all missed out on selection.
Finch is one of five uncapped players in the squad, alongside quicks Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser, and batsmen Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne.
Finch dominated England’s T20 Blast (589 at 147.25) and has averaged 52.65 in one-day international cricket since the start of 2017. However, his first-class average sits at a modest 36.15 and he was not among the standout batsmen in last summer’s Sheffield Shield season (404 at 35.28). Nevertheless, Ricky Ponting is backing him to succeed in the five-day format.
“His four-day cricket for Victoria has probably been better than anyone else in the country, probably apart from (Matthew) Renshaw,” Ponting told cricket.com.au.
Like Finch, Siddle’s selection comes off the back of a bumper stint in England. The 33-year-old took 37 wickets at 16.40 runs apiece for division one county side Essex. With Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins both ruled out of the tour of the United Arab Emirates, Siddle will be looking to play his first Test since November 2016.
He will be vying for selection against Queensland’s Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett, who beat Tremain to selection in the squad. Given no man has taken more wickets over the past two Sheffield Shield seasons than Tremain (93 at 20.12), the right-armer can feel hard done by.
Left-arm finger-spinners Jon Holland and Ashton Agar will be fighting it out to be named Australia’s second-spinner alongside Nathan Lyon on the dusty tracks of the UAE.
Handscomb’s ommission comes after a lean tour of India with the A team — he averaged 4.00 across five innings before the squad was announced — while neither Maxwell nor imcumbent Test opener Joe Burns got the chance to mount a case for selection in the subcontinent. Burns was ruled out of a stint with county side Glamaorgan in August due to a back injury but was hoping to be fit in time for the Pakistan Tests.
In their absensce, both Head and Labuschagne impressed. The South Australian helped himself to a List A ton at the start of the tour before notching half-centuries in both four-dayers, while Labuschange scored two fifties.
Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh each ensured their selections with first-class tons for Australia A.
TEST SQUAD
Tim Paine (c), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Michael Neser, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc
